Narcos - Season 2
This review of Narcos Season 2 is spoiler-free!
Netflix seems to never run out of good television for its audiences. One day you'll be watching Altered Carbon and it's beautiful visuals. The next day you'll be watching Jessica Jones struggle against Kilgrave. After that? You find yourself watching season 1 of Narcos and the journey of Pablo Escobar. Different shows for different folks. We all have our interests in media of any kind, and Narcos first season is certainly a far cry from things like Altered Carbon and the Marvel giants. But, Narcos' first season managed to take an extremely serious subject matter and create an interesting and exciting story of criminal intrigue and corruption. With season 2, we have Escobar on the run and Colombia on the brink of war. Talk about fantastic story threads.
With the second season of Narcos, we come back to a desperate Pablo Escobar who is struggling to maintain the loyalty of those under him in his cartel. As he quickly runs out of funding and support, things go south and he's left to go on the run. His life is turned upside as he is nearly caught on multiple occasions, but those hunting him never seem to actually get him. With moles inside the DEA and Colombia government, Pena and Murphy seek out different ways to handle their anger. Pena takes a dark road to help take down Escobar, and Murphy faces the reality of life without his wife. It's hard to explain the second season of television without any spoilers, but Narcos' second season had a much more fulfilling and interesting story than season 1. Some of the greatest weaknesses I thought the first season had been a story that didn't necessarily feel truly finished, and some over the top character moments. Season 2 manages to take all of these concerns and fix each and every one of them.
Of all of the characters in this season, the two that really felt like they changed for the better were that of Pena and Escobar. Pedro Pascal's portrayal was fantastic this season. While I enjoyed his work in the past, he felt more like a side character in season 1 while here he's the main focus of the story. The challenges he faces are real and seeing the many different facets of this character shows just how great of an actor Pascal can be when given the right role. As mentioned though the other star of this season is Wagner Moura's continuing excellence as Escobar. This season we see such a different Escobar. He's desperate and clinging to his empire by the skin of his teeth. This change in the character works for Moura and the increased focus on his ever-changing circumstances is a brilliant means to draw out a great performance.
With this second season, Narcos took a darker path with its storytelling that really elevated the show as a whole. Where in the first season I often times struggled to keep my interest level going for the show, there was an intensity and speed to the season that really made it better. Pena's story is gripping and exciting, and it goes to unexpected places and incorporates characters that you wouldn't imagine. The second half of this season in particular is intriguing and exciting because it's really pedal to the metal. We see Escobar on his last leg and the world around him slowly closing in. It's without question the best work of integrating interesting themes and overall story arcs together I've seen from Narcos up to this point.
With two seasons of Narcos under my belt, it feels like a chapter of this show has closed while another one is about to begin. For those who know about the true story behind Narcos, you know that this is a major change in the events that come next. I'm excited to see where this story takes us next, and after a break from this show I will most definitely dive back into this world to see just what happens. For those of you who continue to sidestep Narcos as a potential next binge, I highly encourage you to start the journey because even though season 1 is good, Season 2 is the truly great season of this show up until this point.
